Bag opening and supplying device

ABSTRACT

A bag opening and supplying device comprising a hopper for storing bags therein in stacked relation, movable suction pipes for removing bags one-by-one from the hopper by suction, and a bag receiving bracket to which the bags are supplied by the suction pipes. A friction member is provided between the pipes for engaging a bag carried by the pipes and insuring that it is accurately positioned without slippage on the bag receiving bracket.

United States Patent [1 1 3,706,179

Tanaka et al. 1 Dec. 19, 1972 [54] BAG OPENING AND SUPPLYING I [56] References Cited DEVICE UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventors: Hiroshisa Tanaka; Mitiaki Wade;

3,501,893 3/1970 Peterson ..53/l90 f Kaneko, all of Kanagawa 3,566,578 3/1971 Thorne at al. ..53/l 90 X apan A ig j Photo Film C -1 Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Kanagawa, Japan Attorney-Richard C. Sughrue et al. 22 F! d: 28 1971 1 e 57 ABSTRACT 21 .2 1 App] No 157,526 A bag opening and supplying device comprising a hopper for storing bags therein in stacked relation, Forelgn Apphcatlon y Data movable suction'pipes for removing bags one-by-one from the hopper by suction, and a bag receiving June 30, 1970 Japan ..45/57053 bracket to which the g are pp y the Suction [52] U.S. Cl ..53/1ss, 53/386 PtPeS- A member is Pmvided between the 51] m. C]. ..B65b 43/28 Pipes "gaging a bag carried by the Pipes and ,[58] Field of Search ..53/1ss, 190,386 shthg that it is accurately psttthed wtthmt slippage on the bag receiving bracket.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BAG OPENING AND SUPPLYING DEVICE BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for automatically opening the mouth of bags and supplying the bags to any bag receiving means, and in particular to an improvement in a bag opening and supplying device in which bags are stacked in a hopper and fed one-by-one from the lowermost bag to a bag receiving bracket and the bag is opened while it is fed to the bracket from the hopper by air resistance.

In the type of bag supplying device as described above, it is important to accurately fit the bag to the bag receiving bracket and also to insert the article to be packed in the bag to the bottom of the bag at the time of insertion.

The object of the present invention is to provide a bag opening and supplying device which repeatedly opens the mouth of successive bags and accurately fits the bags onto a bag receiving bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the entire device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bag receiving bracket used in the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the main portion of the bag supplying device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bag supplying device in accordance with the present invention comprises a hopper 1 for storing a number of bags therein, a pair of auxiliary suction pipes 2 for pulling the lowermost bag in the hopper 1 out of the opening provided on the bottom of the hopper l, a pair of suction pipes 4 having a pair of suction mouthpieces 41 to engage and convey the bag pulled out by the auxiliary pipes 2, and a bag receiving bracket 30 to receive the bag carried by the suction pipes 4. The auxiliary suction pipes 2 are rotatable with the shaft 20 and are moved up and down in response to movement of the cam following lever 5 which is fixed to the shaft and thus fixedly connected to the auxiliary suction pipes 2. The cam following lever 5 has a cam following member 51 at the top end thereof which is in contact with and follows a cam 6 that is rotatable about the axis of a stationary shaft 40. This cam 6 is secured to the suction pipes 4 in any suitable manner.

The auxiliary suction pipes 2 engage the lowermost bag piled in the hopper l by suction when they are moved upwardly and are cut off from the vacuum source or pump (not shown) when they are moved downwardly. When the auxiliary suction pipes 2 are at their lower position and the vacuum is cut off, the removed bag is caught by the suction pipes 4 moving upwardly and rotating in the counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 1. The bag is engaged and held by the suction mouthpieces 41 provided at the outer ends of the suction pipes 4. Thus, the bag is caught and carried downwardly by the suction pipes 4. The bags are stored in the hopper with the mouth thereof directed towards the left, as seen in FIG. 1, and the mouths thereof are opened while each one is carried downwardly by the suction pipes 4 which engage each bag at the portion of the side near the mouth thereof. Each bag is then fitted to the bag receiving bracket 30 by the continued rotation of the suction pipes 4.

The bracket 30 comprises, as shown in FIG. 3, a bag receiving plate 31 having a curled up end 310 adapted to receive the bag carried by the suction pipes 4 with the mouth opened, and a pair of guide plates 32 are mounted on and extend upwardly from the bag receiving plate 31. The guide plates 32 are provided on both sides of the plate 31 and normally maintainedin the closed position shown in FIG. 3 to facilitate the receiving of the bag by the bag receiving plate 31. The bag receiving bracket 30 is disposed on a conveyer with other brackets in series and fed in the direction perpendicular to'the drawing sheet in FIG. 1.

After the bag is received by the bag receiving bracket 30, an article to be packed therein is inserted inthe direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 3. If the entire bag supplying device is moved to the right as seen in FIG. 2 in synchronism with the movement of the bag receiving bracket on the conveyer, the conveyer can be fed continuously, that is, not intermittently. This movement is preferred to be reciprocal so that the whole device can be located at a definite position. The guide plates 32 preferably are closed when the bag is received by the bracket and opened when the article is inserted into the bag. In order to effect such movement of the guide plates 32, they are welded or otherwise fixed to cylindrical members 34 rotatably mounted on stationary pins 33, and the cylindrical members 34 are provided with a projection 35 which is urged by a spring 36 toward a pin 37 fixed on the base plate supporting the whole bracket. The movement of the guide plates under the influence of springs 36 is limited by stoppers 38. Thus, the guide plates 32 are normally in the position shown in FIG. 3. When the article is inserted into the bag received on the bracket, the guide plates 32 are moved outwardly so as to allow the article to be inserted inside of the bag.

In order to facilitate the receiving of the bag by the bracket and to firmly hold the bag at the received position when the article is inserted into the bag, it is preferred to provide a serrated portion 39 on the edge of the guide plates 32. The serrated portion 39 need not necessarily be as shown in FIG. 3 but may be provided on the outer side of the guide plates. Also, the guide plates 32 may be provided with a friction member to perform a function similar to that of the serratedportion 39. For example, a brush-like member directed toward the opening of the bag may be provided on the outer side face of the guide members 32.

By providing a bag holding means such as the serrated portion or friction member on the guide plates of the bag receiving bracket 30, a resistance is exerted on the bag when the bag is received by the bag receiving plate 31. In order to fit the bag to the bag receiving bracket, a device utilizing friction to urge the bag onto the bracket, as shown in FIG. 4, is employed. In FIG. 4, the reference numeral 41 indicates a pair of suction mouthpieces provided at the outer end of the suction pipes 4 which are rotatable with and about the axis of the shaft 40. The pair of suction pipes 4 are disposed in parallel relation with each other as shown in FIG. 4.

A supporting bracket 71 is mounted across the two parallel suction pipes 4. An arm 72 is fixed on the bracket 71 in parallel relation to the pipes 4. A friction member carrier 73 carrying a friction member 7 thereon is pivotally mounted on the end of the arm 72 at the pivot 74. The friction member carrier 73 is normally urged outwardly by a spring 75. By the outward urging of the spring, the friction member 7 is normally positioned along the tangential direction of the rotation of the suction mouthpieces 41. Therefore, when the suction mouthpieces 41 carry the bag by suction and the bag is to be fitted onto the bag receiving plate 31, the friction member 7 engages the bag as it is fitted onto the plate 31, with the advantageous result that the bag is accurately received by the bag receiving bracket. Thus, the bag is securely engaged with the holding means on the guide plates 32 of the bag receiving bracket.

What is claimed is:

1. A bag opening andsupplying device comprising a hopper for storing a number of bags therein, suction pipe means for removing bags one-by-one from the bottom of the hopper by suction, a bag receiving bracket to which the bags are supplied by said suction pipe means, said suction pipe means comprising a pair of suction pipes, and a friction member provided between said pair of suction pipes for engaging a bag carried by said pipes as it is positioned on said bag receiving bracket, each of said suction pipes being provided with a suction mouthpiece at the outer end thereof.

2. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 1 wherein said friction member is urged outwardly by spring means to a position wherein the member is engageable with a bag carried by said suction pipes.

3. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 1 wherein said bag receiving bracket comprises a bag receiving plate having a curled up end, a pair of guide plates movably mounted on the opposite sides of the receiving plate, and means for urging the guide plates inwardly toward each other.

4. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 3 wherein said guide plates are provided'with bag holding means.

5. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 4 wherein said bag holding means is a serrated portion provided on the upper edge of each of the guide plates.

6. A bag opening and supplying device as defined'in claim 5 wherein said bag holding means is a friction member provided on the outer side face of each of the guide plates.

l l l 

1. A bag opening and supplying device comprising a hopper for storing a number of bags therein, suction pipe means for removing bags one-by-one from the bottom of the hopper by suction, a bag receiving bracket to which the bags are supplied by said suction pipe means, said suction pipe means comprising a pair of suction pipes, and a friction member provided between said pair of suction pipes for engaging a bag carried by said pipes as it is positioned on said bag receiving bracket, each of said suction pipes being provided with a suction mouthpiece at the outer end thereof.
 2. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 1 wherein said friction member is urged outwardly by spring means to a position wherein the member is engageable with a bag carried by said suction pipes.
 3. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 1 wherein said bag receiving bracket comprises a bag receiving plate having a curled up end, a pair of guide plates movably mounted on the opposite sides of the receiving plate, and means for urging the guide plates inwardly toward each other.
 4. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 3 wherein said guide plates are provided with bag holding means.
 5. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 4 wherein said bag holding means is a serrated portion provided on the upper edge of each of the guide plates.
 6. A bag opening and supplying device as defined in claim 5 wherein said bag holding means is a friction member provided on the outer side face of each of the guide plates. 